Sunday, April 15, 2012

Cold beaches

The weather just can't seem to settle down here.  Last weekend, I spent every minute I could on the back patio, spinning and knitting.  But then, much of the week was gray and stormy - lots of wind and very wet rain (I don't care what anyone says, some rain is just wetter than other rain).  And yesterday, when I went to La Jolla after dropping Older Daughter off at a workshop, it was blustery and cold and the ocean was very big (I don't care what anyone says about that, either - sometimes the ocean is bigger than usual).
See what I mean?  And look at those colors!  Seafoam green, a lovely deep blue-green, froth; all looking ice-cold and whitecaps everywhere.
Those are the colors I'd wear all the time, and surround myself with, if I could.  Cold beaches.  Yup.

It was so cold, even the pelicans weren't doing much in the way of flying.
Look at them all.
So ungainly and dignified at the same time.

So I walked along the shore, watching everyone else, all bundled up, walking along at the same time.  I particularly enjoyed all the parents out with young children, following them along in their boundless energy, heedless of the cold.  I remember exactly what that was like, walking with Older Daughter along the Marina in San Francisco, with Rick's grandmother - as if it were yesterday.  And it struck me suddenly: it does feel like yesterday, but there I was, having just dropped my daughter off at a workshop on seismic engineering at UCSD.  And as inarticulate and dorky as it sounds, all I could think was:

Dude.

When did that happen?  I remember so clearly what it was like when she was barely walking.  Heck, let's be fair - I remember what it was like to be 14, and nervous and scared and doing something new with people I didn't know.  Isn't it odd to carry all of these people inside - each of them an iteration of "me"?

I guess cold ocean air messes with my brain.

Meanwhile, don't those colors look familiar?
The colors in that yarn are actually more saturated than they look in that picture - and are rather like the beach pictures above (the light and dark browns even look like the pelicans).  I think I should call it "cold beach", in fact.  I still don't know what I'm going to make with it, but in the meantime, I did want to show some finished pictures which illustrate that, once dry, it turns out that this yarn did what I'd hoped: the woolen-spun singles puffed out around the worsted-spun singles in quite a nice way.
(The woolen-spun Polwarth singles are the brown-y colors, and the worsted-spun BFL singles are the blue-y ones.)  I'm so pleased that this did what I thought it would do, and did it nicely, to boot.  Overall, the skeins of yarn handle like woolen-spun yarn - very light, and with a lot of bounce and much less drape.  It will be interesting to see how they knit up.

I've been doing some sampling today on my wheel, but I will write more about that next time.  I've also been knitting away on Vitamin D:
I am nearly done with the body.  I just need to cast off, then pick up stitches around the fronts and neck to knit a few garter stitch ridges.  Then it's on to the sleeves.  I'd hoped to knit this as a long-sleeved cardi (it's designed to be 3/4 sleeves), but I'm shorter on yarn than I'd thought.  So now I'm thinking I might do elbow-length sleeves, which could make this a nice transitional piece.  We shall see how it goes.  Once I'm done with the body, I'll weigh the yarn and then see how far that goes on the first sleeve.  I'm not always fond of 3/4 sleeves, so if it looks like I won't make it to my wrists, I'll probably go elbow-length instead.  Ah, the joys of managing yarn supply.

I rather like the radial increases on the yoke; they also are used to make the front panels swingy.  I'm tempted, should I make this an elbow-length sleeve, to do something similar towards the end of the sleeve, to make them a little bell-like.  Again, time will tell.

Meanwhile, dark and stormy seas aside,  I came home to find that Rick had bought these at the farmer's market.  It's clearly spring somewhere!

17 comments:

Mary Lou said...

I agree that some rain is wetter. Those sweet peas - ahhh. It is nearly 80 here this afternoon, but snowing just north of us. Dude.

EGunn said...

That first picture made me gasp. I can't wait to be near the ocean again! (Nor can I wait to get back into the dye studio in "play" mode, and try to make some of those colors.)

I love the polwarth/BFL yarn. It really came out beautifully, and I'm really interested to see what it looks like knit up. This is such a great example of using the properties of the wool to best advantage!

Seismic engineering? Oh, my. Time does fly!

Wanderingcatstudio said...

Your ocean pics are beautiful - I love the matching yarn

Jane said...

I love those colours too, the paint in my bathroom is called Stormy Sea. Know what you mean about time flying, I've got to take my youngest for an interview at college on Friday to do Horticulture

Brandi Schoch said...

It's been just cold here...well to be fair it is maine.I have no pictures of buds or flowers yet. I've been a bit envious. It made me feel a bit better to see that deliciously colored cold ocean and rocky crags. The colors are amazing and I love how you integrated them into your yarn.I can't wait to see what it becomes.

Willow said...

Southern California rain is wetter than Pacific Northwest rain. Also, yes, some ocean is just higher--which is literally true due to tide and moon and all that.

That yarn is definitely 'Cold Beach'. How about a cold beach wearing sweater?

RobinH said...

Gorgeous photos! And the yarn does have all those colors. Wonderful.

Nana Sadie said...

My my!!! I love the beach shots. And your yarn is just plain yummy! Have missed you.
(((hugs)))

patrice said...

Love the colors of the yarn ... which you created with your two hands and skill! Love the sweet peas - farmer's markets are the best. Hope the CSU politics aren't getting you down and the strike doesn't have to happen.

Gwen said...

I think we got that same very wet rain day. Big drops! Instead of heavy mist. I was soaked after feeding the creatures in the back yard. You're right about the ocean too. There was this one Big Ocean day at the beach at Fort Kronkhite...

Mmm colors! And my! those kids do grow quickly!

twinsetellen said...

Dude! is right. Seismic engineering - wow, there is no pretending that she isn't growing up. I've had the same thought - that we all have iterations of ourselves inside, nested like little Russian dolls. I see it more clearly in the daughters - there is the baby version, the toddler version, the 5th grader, and so on...

The yarn is FABULOUS and does evoke the cold beach photos, which are also fabulous. Big ocean, indeed!

Carrie#K said...

I have never seen so many pelicans in one place EVER. Wicked, as the kids say/said.

And dude! I'm constantly feeling like that! I was driving down a road I haven't been on since First Hubby and started having a "Hi, Long Ago Self, did you ever think -" talk with me. But shh. Don't tell anyone. I sound dotty. :)

AlisonH said...

Your Rick is a peach. And I lovelovelove that yarn and the pictures of the place it so belongs with.

My little girl with the blonde curls who was for the first time at age four not afraid of a dog when a friend let her tiny teacup poodle climb in my daughter's delighted lap...

...Is now trying to decide whether to walk or not at her graduation with her PhD. The days are so long when they're little, but the years are so short.

Stell said...

"workshop on seismic engineering at UCSD" - is this the child who came to visit us? Truly they grow up so fast, and this one seems to be her fathers daughter - and engineer perhaps?

Rachael said...

Gorgeous blues in your pictures - especially the sky, I don't think the sky gets the blue on the east coast...

Alwen said...

Sweet peas! I have tried multiple times but failed to grow them.

And yeah.

My son is going to turn 13. How is that even possible!

Lynne said...

As soon as I saw that first photo I thought of your yarn!

Where does the time go with our kids? Same thing is happening with my grand kids, how did OG get to be nearly two and a half and when did YG have time to turn one?